The Dwindling World
by lostariel.merilwen01
Summary: "Keep them happy. Keep them safe..." This was Claire's assignment, and she has no choice but to accept it as lives are on the line and a tragedy unfolds, and she is forced to answer the one question she never wanted to. Just how far will a cheerleader from Texas go to save the world?
1. Beginnings

**Okay, I know, I know, I KNOW. Story number 11, and none of them are even halfway done yet. I know. I am so sorry! I've just been watching the 2nd season of Dance Academy, and, well, one thing led to another, and...this happened...yeah...hope you like it...**

**Also, this is sort of a crossover...but I hate listing it as one. It is sort of crossed over with Heroes...okay, it is. But I just wanted to put it somewhere it would get more readers, I guess. :) I hope you enjoy, and I will explain anything Heroes related as much as I can! **

**DISCLAIMER: I own nothing but any OCs or anything of the sort, and I do own some of the plot, but not all. Anything else you recognize belongs to either Tim Kring or Samantha Strauss. Thank you. *bows* On with the** **show! **

* * *

_July 14th, 2011_

_Beep. _

Claire groaned and rolled over, desperately hoping that whatever had disturbed her slumber would go and die.

_Beep. _

No such luck. With an exasperated sigh, Claire slowly sat up and looked to her right where her phone lay.

_Beep. _

Blinking sleep out of her eyes, Claire reached over and grabbed it, flicking it open as she yawned loudly.

"'Ello?" she asked sleepily.

"Hey Claire, it's Matt. Did I wake you?" he asked with mock concern, as though he were talking to a child.

Ordinarily, Claire would have replied with some witty, well thought out comeback, but she was much too exhausted to even remember her own name. Instead, she merely groaned in reply and lay down once more, still holding her cell to her ear.

"I guess that was a stupid question, seeing as it's only..." There was a pause as Matt checked something. "...ten in the morning."

"Mmmhmm," Claire replied, struggling to keep her eyes open. She could hear Matt sigh from the other end.

"Claire I need you here at the office ASAP."

This woke Claire up. "What? Why?" She groaned as she sat up once more. "You said I could sleep in and then just come in to write the report later this afternoon-"

"This isn't about that report, Claire. I think I'll let you off the hook for that one," Matt told her, and Claire was both confused and afraid at the serious tone in the voice of her not-so-serious friend.

"What are you talking about Matt?" Claire asked concernedly.

"Just..." He sighed. "Come in as soon as you can." The line clicked as it went dead, and Claire sat there for a few moments before slapping her phone shut and swinging her legs out fo the bed to touch the floor.

She managed to get up and walk to her wardrobe at a reasonable pace, and pulled out her black slacks and light blue button up blouse. She then half ran to the her bathroom, that was connected to her bedroom. She had the fastest shower she ever had, shampooing her hair in record time.

She got out and dried herself before wrapping herself in a purple bathrobe and pulling her makeup and toothbrush out of the top drawer. She somehow managed to brush her teeth with her left hand and her hair with her right, but she caught herself moving her left up and down and her right side to side a few times.

After fifteen minutes, a dash of lip gloss and a whole lot of hair brushing, Claire was finally ready. Well, sort of. Her hair was still wet and she had pulled it into a messy bun on the top of her head, and her clothes weren't exactly ironed, but thanks to the panicked tone of Matt's voice, she honestly didn't care.

She gathered her wallet, keys and phone and quickly put on a few items of jewellery from her duchess before heading out, her heeled ankle boots clopping against the floor as she walked out of her room and through the halls of the rather large house she lived in.

"Oh, Claire! I was just about to get someone to go and wake you up." Claire turned to see her grandmother standing there with a disapproving frown on her face. "You know it isn't good for you to sleep in so late."

"I am sorry Angela, I had a late night," Claire replied, desperately trying to not argue with the older woman.

"Well, you shouldn't. It is very bad for your body clock. I good night's rest is what you need, especially in your situation." She was definitely getting on Claire's nerves...but then again, when wasn't she? Claire had only known the woman for a few years, and she refused to refer to her grandmother as 'Gran' or anything like that, but instead called her by her name, Angela, as though they were merely passing acquaintances.

Claire was about to turn and leave, but the last comment caught her attention. "My _situation_?" she asked, annoyed.

"Yes. You run around, saving lives and doing God knows what else, and the least you could do is try and look after yourself. You should be in school, studying to be a doctor, or a lawyer, or something suiting your intelligence-"

"No, that's enough," Claire snapped. "I am sorry, Angela, but you can't tell me what to do. Yes, I live under your roof, and I am very grateful for that, but I don't have to abide by your rules, If you do not agree with me or my lifestyle, I will quite happily go and live with Peter," she informed the woman. Peter was her uncle and best friend, and she would have preferred to stay with him, but she didn't want her grandmother to be all alone and without protection, especially as the old woman had managed to make several enemies in her time. "I am sure Peter would be happy to have me. I stay here for your sake, in the hope you wouldn't be so lonely, and I would like to get to know my own grandmother, but you do not have to comment on every aspect of my life. Yes, I should legally be in school, but according to the government, I don't even exist anymore! I am going to be an agent for the rest of my life, working for our new company in the hope to somehow undo all the damage you and your friends unleashed when you first began it when were younger, and I don't think a law degree will help me with that. I train with guns, not words, and I don't argue. I don't play nice anymore. I go in there, and I do what I must, because I must. It is my responsibility, and you are NOT going to stop me." With that, she turned on her heel and left the room, leaving a very irritated woman in her wake.

By the time Claire got to the office, she could see several different cars in the carpark. It looked like Tracy, Matt, Peter and Mohinder were there, along with many others whose vehicles she didn't recognize.

She walked into the large building, waving her badge in front of the security, though they knew who she was. Everyone did.

The newly reformed company still worked under the guise of Primatech Paper, only it functioned much differently. There was less capturing and imprisoning and much more listening and caring. The field agents had been retrained to talk and think first and then act afterwards.

They lived in a world where people with incredible abilities where becoming more and more common, and they had to do everything possible to keep the 'specials' (people with abilities) a secret from the rest of the world. Some of those with powers were dangerous, and had to be detained, but then there were others, like Claire, who's moral compass was ever correct.

Technically, Claire was far too young to be working there, but her grandmother had pulled some strings and made it possible. She and her adopted family rarely spoke, and Noah, her adopted father, worked for the same company, only it was the one in Texas. She spent her time in New York, feeling more comfortable there, surrounded by people like her. People that understood, and could provide support and opportunities for her to make something of herself. Sometimes she felt sad and guilty when she thought of her decision to leave her family behind, but she knew that if she were with them, she would never be happy. Besides, they would be in danger if she were there, and she couldn't let that happen. So, she worked for The Company once more.

Thanks to young Micah, who had the ability to communicate with machines and make them do what he wanted, they were never short of money. He would often have a look at different things going on around the world, and if there was ever something floating around, it would be theirs. It probably wasn't very moral, but it had to be done. Often if people gained money through illegal activities, they would take away from that also.

So, it was a strange, disfunctional group of people, that somehow managed to save lives on a regular basis. Some died on missions, some left and never came back, but most stayed, because what they were working for was far too important to just leave behind.

"Hey Claire!" Tracy called, and Claire turned around to see her friend walking up to her. "It's so good to see you!" Tracy gave Claire a big hug and a kiss on the cheek before releasing her with a confused expression on her face. "Weren't you supposed to come later on? You had a big night last night with the party and everything."

"Yeah, I was, but Matt called and he wanted me to come in and talk to him about something. Do you have any idea what it might be about?" she asked Tracy curiously, hoping to find out more about whatever had Matt so worried.

"Well, I was in the middle of a report but Matt called and he wants me to go to the meeting room, which is where you are going too I guess. We'll probably find out together."

"Yeah, I hope we find out soon," Claire said, biting her lip. "The suspense is killing me. Matt sounded really worried on the phone!"

"Really?" Tracy began. "Come to think of it, he did look a bit pale when he came to see if I could make it," she pondered aloud.

"Well, if we want to find out, we should probably go and see what he has to say. He is the only one who can tell us."

Tracy laughed a little as they began to walk. "If it's something to do with this company, chances are your grandmother could tell us more than Matt could, and he's the director of this place."

Claire sighed, rolling her eyes. "Yeah, but even if it wasn't company related, I have a feeling my grandmother would still know."

"Yeah, you're probably right," Tracy agreed as she pressed the arrow on the elevator several times. "She's like a freak. An all-knowing freak."

Claire joined in the laughing as they entered the elevator. "I guess the whole 'dreaming the future' thing comes in handy."

"Can you believe that I actually hadn't realized that was how she did it?" Tracy asked disbelievingly. "Wow, it never crossed my mind. I just though she was one of those people that seems to know everything."

Claire smirked and looked away. "That too."

* * *

"So, you ladies are probably wondering why I asked for you to come here," Matt began as he seated himself at the head of the large table, and Claire and Tracy sat across from each other in the middle part.

"No, I was just wondering what kind of poison you would like me to put in your food," Tracy responded sarcastically, rolling her eyes. "Cut the crap, Matt. We wanna know why you brought just us here, and we wanna know now. No more games, just the truth."

Matt's shoulders sagged, and he looked ashamed. "I'm sorry, I just...don't know how to explain all of this without you both thinking I'm crazy. Or worse."

Claire snorted and raised an eyebrow. "Worse?"

"Yeah, you could realize I really am crazy," Matt quipped, trying to lighten the mood, but the only thing he succeeded in was making the two women more impatient. With a sigh, he decided to come out with it.

"Okay, so, well...I have a mission for you both, and well, you don't have to take it, but it is really important."

Claire rolled her eyes. "So, it's our choice, but if we say no you'll guilt us into doing it anyway."

"No-" Matt began to protest, but he was cut off by Tracy.

"Well that's what it sounds like."

"Look, I know you both don't think very much of the assignments we give to you, but I can't even begin to describe how important this one is. Please, just give me a chance to explain."

"Fine. Sorry Matt, continue," Claire encouraged, and Tracy nodded in agreement.

"We have a friend in Romania, another future painter-"

"A what?" Claire yelled at him. "If there is another future painter, I think we all have the right to know!"

"Look, I know that might make you mad, but it was decided by the board to be kept secret for as long as possible in case word got out to anyone we didn't want to know. More people have shown up that weren't on Suresh's original list, and some of them don't necessarily want to be in direct contact with us as they feel it endangers them personally." Claire snorted. "Claire, come on. Not everyone grows back their bones, and you can't really judge us mortals for not wanting to put ourselves in harm's way."

"Matt, you keep saying 'us' like it includes you too, but it doesn't. You have just as much if not more to lose than any of them but you live dangerously in the hope your son won't have to. Can't they humble themselves and come and help us?"

"I don't know Claire, but I don't want to bug them about it. We need what little help they can give us, and they're unlikely to want to help us if we hassle them 24/7. Anyway, he painted some interesting things about the future..."

Tracy snorted. "That's generally what future painters do." Matt glared at her. "Sorry," she apologized.

"Anyway, he's been painting a series of pictures over the last few months, and they're finally starting to connect. Look up on the screen to see them." He lifted up the remote and turned on the screen, and they saw the first picture. These were not cartoon style like Isaac Mendez's had been, and instead looked like something out of a Japanese comic, a strange form of manga.

The first picture was of six friends in the ocean, splashing each other and laughing. Claire couldn't help but smile at the image.

Then there was a girl with light hair standing in front of a boy, but you couldn't see her face. He was obviously being told off by her, as she had her finger in the air, pointing at him, and was bowing his head with mild shame.

The following image was of a girl and two boys on a stage. The boys were in top hats and leather suits, and the girl was in a tutu and a corset. They were obviously performing something to a crowd, and they all seemed to be enjoying it.

The next one was of a girl standing at a ballet barre, her foot lifted up behind her and being held by a woman with a smirk on her face. The girl was wincing in pain, and the leg was obviously being bent way too far. There was a boy in the back ground that looked just about ready to murder the woman, but he was doing nothing about it.

Next there were two girls and a boy standing on a stage with medals on their back, looking incredibly proud of themselves.

The one after that was a girl being lifted up in the air by a boy, and her hair was flung around her like she was being swung around. There was the biggest, goofiest grin lighting up her face, and she held on to his shoulders tightly. They looked happy and in love, and Claire felt a pang in her heart, but she ignored it.

The next picture was of two girls embracing, holding each other as though they were afraid the other might disappear at any moment. Only one of the face could be seen because of the angle, and it was scrunched with pain and tears were streaking down the girl's face.

The next was of a girl with dark hair, who Claire was pretty sure was the one that boy had been lifting in the air. She was lying in a shower, unconscious. She was fully clothed, and there seemed to be no blood, but it was hard to tell since the picture was done in pencil only, with no colour.

Matt sighed, and looked at them. "There are two more, and many debated whether or not we should show them to you, but in the end, I convinced all of the board that you could be trusted." He clicked the remote once more and Claire looked back up at the screen again, and was shocked with what she saw.

She was in a leotard with a skirt, being lifted by a boy. She was lifted and facing him, and one of her legs was vertical in the air behind her, while the other was pointed down. Effectively, she was doing the splits, only vertical and in mid air. But what really shocked Claire was her own face. She was looking down at the boy, her eyes shining, and he held her up with strong, muscled arms and smiled right back at her.

"Who...who is that?" she asked, disbelieving.

"Well, obviously one of them is you, and I will talk to you about who the other person is soon. But you have to see the last one he drew."

He clicked the remote again, and Claire and Tracy stared.

This one was in color, unlike the other ones. It was all in shades of red or orange, with some black. The sky was an angry red, and bathed the streets of a city with a red light. Claire looked in the background and did a double take, looking at it in shock.

There, in the middle of the background, was the Sydney opera house.

"That's Sydney?" Claire asked incredulously.

"It will be, unless we do something about it. The pictures have to all be connected. Everything is! A lot of the pictures show someone who is in another, and they all seem to be fine and not too dangerous, until you get a girl unconscious in a shower and the possible destruction of an entire city!"

"Well, if they are all a bunch of people, it seems they are all really happy until something happens to them. We just have to find out what happens, and then stop it. If their sadness is connected to the destruction of Sydney, then we have to stop the reason for their sadness," Claire said logically.

Tracy nodded before turning to Matt. "Do you know who is in the pictures? They're all pretty realistic, so you could get image matches for them. They would most likely be in Sydney, and-"

"I know, Tracy," Matt interrupted. "And we have run them through the data base, and we got nothing. So, we did some thinking, and looked into things to do with Sydney and ballet, and it turns out the Australian National Academy of Dance is in Sydney, and it is quite possible, seeing as all the people in the pictures are teens, that that is where all the stuff is happening."

Claire worked out his thinking immediately. "You want me to go there," she stated, and he nodded slowly.

"They are three months away from the end of the year, so I think you could get enrolled for next year."

"Yeah, the only problem being the little fact that I don't dance..."

"You can learn. You were a cheer leader, and a damn good one, and you took ballet when you were a kid. You don't feel pain, so that won't hold you back."

"I used to do ballet too, up until I was eighteen. I loved it. I could help you out with a few things," Tracy offered.

Matt smiled at her. "Tracy, that's really nice of you, but this is a National Academy of Dance. We're gonna have to find a way to make Claire a ballet expert in three months."

"We can find some ballet expert to teach her, and isn't there a guy somewhere that can put abilities into people? Like ballet, flexibility, athletics and all that?"

"Yes, but we should try to at least get Claire some knowledge of ballet and see how good she can do at it, and then if she needs a bit of an extra kick, we can get the guy to put flexibility in there or something. It'll work out. We'll make it."

They were all silent for a moment. "What about me?" Tracy asked. "What am I supposed to do?"

"Well, we don't want Claire's mum involved in anything, so you will be playing mum to Claire for anything to do with that. You can keep working here, but just go over there every now and then and spend time with her, make sure she is doing all right, get to know her friends and all that."

Tracy nodded, and a grin made it's way over her face and she turned to Claire. "If I'm your Mum, you have to do what I say..."

Claire sighed, looking at Matt. "Couldn't you pick anyone else to be my mother?"

"Yes, but you two pull of the mother/daughter act so well," Matt replied with a smirk, and Tracy smiled triumphantly, looking at Claire.

Claire groaned, rolling her eyes. "If you embarrass me, I will kill you."

"I'd like to see you try, cheer leader," she teased, and Claire lifted one eyebrow.

"Come at me, popsicle," she replied, sticking her tongue out.

Tracy smirked, knowing she would have an advantage. She opened her mouth, poked her tongue out, and Claire watched as a cold mist rose from her tongue and out her nostrils.

"Hey, that's not fair! Matt, come on, she can't win with that!" Claire appealed, but the mind reader was too busy laughing. The 'who-could-be-cooler-than-who' game was played between the two females on an almost daily basis, and they had become quite good at it. However, Tracy often had the upper hand due to the amount of cool tricks she could pull of with her freezing ability.

"Sorry Claire, but I think she won this round," he said sadly after wiping away the tears from laughing.

"Fine," Claire sighed, standing. "But I will win next time, just you wait," she directed at Tracy before turning on her heel and walking away.

Once the door closed, Tracy became serious once more.

"Matt, do you really think she can do this?" she asked, obviously worried.

He nodded. "She'll pull through. She has to, remember? Save the cheer leader, save the world."

"Yeah, but how many times can she save it before she runs out of luck? Until we all run out of luck?"

"We'll just have to cross our fingers and hope that doesn't happen. We are going to have to band together on this one."

"I don't think that will be a problem. If Claire is involved, everyone feels safer. It must be something to do with her ability."

"Just...make sure she feels safe too. If she freaks out, or loses it, they will take advantage of it-"

"It won't happen. I swear to you now, Parkman. Claire will save the day, and no one will stop her. I will make sure of it."

* * *

When Claire got back to the mansion, she found her door open, and she could have sworn she had shut it before she had gone. This, of course, meant that her oh-so-lovely grandmother had been going through her things again. Great.

"Angela!" she called out as she dumped her bag on the floor.

"I'm here, Claire!" a voice floated from downstairs.

Claire kicked off her heeled boots and walked downstairs, obviously not impressed. She found her grandmother in the sitting room, reading a book with her glasses perched on the end of her nose.

"Angela, I thought I told you to stay out of my room," Claire sighed as she sat on the couch facing her grandmother. Angela's facial expression didn't change, so Claire decided to ignore that problem and move onto the next one. "Angela, I need to talk to you about something," she said, and the old woman put her book to the side and removed her glasses so she could see Claire clearer.

"What ever is the problem, dear?" she asked, looking concerned, but Claire ignored her face. She probably knew what Claire was going to ask her about anyway.

"I was wondering if you knew of any good ballet tutors?" Claire asked finally.

Angela nodded, sitting back in her chair so she was more comfortable. "And whatever would you need that for, dear? Have you decided to change your preferred choice of career?"

Claire held in a scoff. "You know why, Angela. I need to get into that Academy, and somehow I don't think I'll wake up one morning to discover I have been magically transformed into a ballet expert."

"Alright, alright. There's no need to get defensive. I know someone from a few years ago. I shall organize for her to come and assist you. How often would you like to train?"

"As often as possible, I'd say. I need to be as good as possible so I can get into that Academy."

Angela nodded, standing up from her chair. "Don't worry about it. I used to know a woman by the name of Lena, and she is a renowned ballet tutor, and is very good at what she does. Now, upstairs with you, girl! Get some rest."

Claire yawned. "For the first time in a while, I completely agree with your thinking."

She walked upstairs and shut her door behind her, taking her hair out of the bun and removing her jacket. Without even bothering to change into more comfortable clothing, she jumped onto her bed, and tucked herself under the covers, relishing the feeling of her muscles relaxing.

It would probably be her last chance to relax for a long time.

* * *

_Six months later..._

Tara took a deep breath, closing her eyes and scrunching them up tightly. She squeezed her hands together tightly, and grit her teeth, taking yet another deep breath.

"You alright?" Christian asked her, frowning with concern.

"Hmm? Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little excited." Christian stared at her. "Okay, more than a little. But, really, we're in SECOND YEAR!" It took all her will power to stop herself from squealing, and she hugged her boyfriend tightly. "I can't believe it."

They both attended a Dance Academy in Sydney, and Christian had been staying with her over the Christmas break. Now, they were about to return for their second year at the Academy, and Tara could not have been more excited.

"Obviously," he commented sarcastically as he hugged her for a moment before releasing her. "Now, are we going to go or not? Your dad is waiting for us in the car you know!"

"Oh! Sorry, I forgot. I'm just, so..." she struggled to find the right word.

"Excited? Thrilled? Over the moon?" Christian offered, smirking at her.

Tara let out a satisfied sigh as she grabbed his hand and they walked up the hill toward the car. "Yeah. That."

"You kids ready to head off?" a gruff voice called to them, and Tara lifted her hand to shield her eyes from the sun as she look up the hill to see the figure of her father, standing tall and proud at the top.

"Yeah, we're coming Dad!" she called back, and she turned to Christian with a mischievous grin. "Race you!" she yelled before tearing off up the hill, with him following close behind her.

"Not fair! You didn't warn me!" he called after her, shaking his head as he caught up with her and tossed her over his shoulder. She squealed and laughed and wriggled, but he refused to set her loose. He approached her father and the man gave him a crooked smile.

"Nice to see you two finally decided to show up. Now into the car! We ain't gonna wait all day now are we mate?" he directed at Christian before laughing and walking around the old truck to get in the front.

Christian plopped Tara down onto the ground and opened the door, sweeping his arm before him with yet another smirk playing on his lips. "My Lady," he offered, bowing gracefully. Tara giggled and pushed herself off the grass, brushing the dirt off her shorts and jumping into the back seat. Christian hopped in behind her and shut the door,

"All belted up?" Mr Webster asked, and Tara looked at him in the mirror.

"Yep," she replied, and the truck started up, the motor grumbling as though it was hungry.

"You kids all ready to go?" he asked once more.

Tara turned to Christian, looking him in the eye. "Yeah, we are," she said, nodding and smiling as she looked at her boyfriend. "We are."

* * *

It was midday by the time they reached the city, and Tara was even more excited than before, if that was even possible. She had not stopped talking the whole trip, and though most would find that annoying, Christian though it was both adorable and funny.

"Now, my baby girl," Mr Webster said after the last of the bags had been taken out of the trunk. "Don't go doin' anything stupid, alright?"

"I won't Dad," Tara assured him, wrapping her arms around his neck. She pulled back a little and gave him a big kiss on the cheek. "I will be sensible, and mature, and a very good girl. Christian will make sure of it."

"He better," the man remarked, looking pointedly at his daughter's boyfriend.

"I will. By the way, thank you again for having me over Christmas. You have no idea how much it meant to me," he thanked.

"Oh, that's alright. You give my daughter a special gleam in her eye, and that's worth everything," he finished with a smile on his face. He leaned over and gave his daughter one last kiss on the forehead before he made himself hop in the truck and leave.

Tara and Christian then separated ways, planning to meet up 15 minutes later after having signed in at the boarding house and unpacked a little. They each freshened up quickly and met outside the building, ready to find their friends.

So they walked along the streets, not really in a rush to be anywhere, holding hands and talking about anything and everything. It wasn't too long before they managed to spot two very familiar and welcome faces coming towards them in the distance.

"There's Kat and Sammy!" Tara exclaimed.

"Yeah, I see," Christian replied with a smirk.

They doubled their pace and approached their friends, who were oblivious to the fact that they were being watched as they spoke with one another.

A young girl left a container in Sammy's hands and walked away after giving him a quick kiss on the cheek, and Kat watched her leave and turned back to her friend.

"You've been keeping busy then?" she asked with a smirk.

Sammy stopped and turned to her. "Well, I am a boarding house adviser so it is my duty to...welcome the first year students."

Christian let out a low laugh. "Is that what you call it?"

Kat and Sammy looked up, seeing their friends, and their faces lit up instantly.

"Hellooo!" Kat exclaimed, giving Tara a huge hug.

After their greetings had been exchanged, they stood back and looked at each other as though they hadn't been together for years.

Sammy smiled and his eyes lit up. "So, exactly how long did the 'Just Friends' rule last?" he asked casually.

"Oh yeah!" Kat remembered. "Who caved first?"

Tara and Christian looked and pointed at each other.

"She did-"

"He did-"

There was some awkward laughing and Kat raised her eyebrows, sizing the two up, but Tara was already distracted as she looked at the building they would be spending the next few months in.

"Wow, second year," she breathed.

They all stopped and gazed at the building.

"Did anyone think we'd ever make it this far?" Sammy wondered aloud, though he probably would have been better off keeping it to himself.

They all turned to look at him, and his eyes widened as he realized what he had said. He gave Kat a pained smile. "I am so sorry!"

"It's fine," she assured him.

"No, I'm sorry."

"No, it's fine. My new 'holding cell's' just 'round the corner. It'll be just like old times," Kat insisted.

"Good," Tara said, smiling with relief.

"Alright, well we'd better go," Sammy said, turning to Kat.

"Right. See ya!" Kat called after him, smiling and giving his hand a squeeze as he walked past. "Have fun at school!" she called after them as she watched them walk into the very building she had once loathed, but now desperately missed.

* * *

Tara, Sammy and Christian walked through the halls, smiling at people as they passed them. The looked around the familiar halls, glad to be back at the Academy that been their home for the previous year.

"So, your Dad's still holding out on paying your tuition then?" Christian asked Sammy sadly.

"Yeah," Sammy replied, screwing his face up. "It's all about holiday savings at the moment. You don't know anything about the stock market do you?" he asked him jokingly, but before Christian could reply a voice interrupted them.

"Sammy!" Sammy turned slightly to his right, only to be grabbed by the shoulders and pressed into a kiss.

Tara and Christian rolled their eyes and turned away, looking at a poster of Tara on the wall and ignoring the face-sucking behind them.

* * *

Claire walked through the halls with Miss Rain. "I hope you realize how unique your position is, Miss Butler. We have never allowed a student to enter this Academy and move straight into Second Year, and I do hope you will make the best of this opportunity. Your year is...well, they have, in the past, been mainly focused on their own relationships, rather than the professional side of ballet. I do hope you will not make the same mistake."

"I will do my best to remain separate from all dramatics," Claire replied. "I wouldn't wish to have them jeopardize my being here. Being overseas is incredible enough, and having the opportunity to dance here is even better. The American version of this Academy is somewhat different, and not exactly something I would wish to be a part of."

"That is completely understandable," Miss Rain agreed. "I do hope you will find us somewhat more professional here."

They walked down a flight of stairs together, only to come across a girl and a boy kissing.

Miss Rain glared at them, and Claire bit her lip to hold in a laugh. "Mr Lieberman," Miss Rain cut in, and they separated immediately. "I believe the vernacular is 'get a room'?"

The two gave their teacher sheepish smiles as she walked past with Claire following. They walked for a little longer before two other students caught Miss Rain's eye, but they weren't participating in anything inappropriate, merely talking with one another as they walked.

"Tara!" Miss Rain called and the girl turned to see her coming.

"Miss Rain, it's nice to see you," she greeted, giving a nice soft smile. Claire looked her over, examining her. She was one of the main possibilities for the troublesome two, after all.

"Likewise," the woman replied curtly. "Tara, Christian, I would like to introduce you both to our new student, Miss Claire Butler."

The looked at her in surprise, and Claire gave them each a small smile in reply.

Miss Rain continued. "She will be joining you all in Second Year. I hope you make her feel welcome. Now, I must go and see to some other things. Would you both take her for a quick tour before class?" she requested, but she walked away before allowing them to reply.

"Sure," Tara said, eyebrows raised at her retreating teacher. She turned to Claire. "Hi, I'm Tara," she said, sticking out a hand.

Claire shook it. "Claire," she said her name, though Miss Rain had already told them. She turned to Christian. "And you're Christian?" she asked, and the boy looked at her suspiciously. She gave a small chuckle. "Miss Rain just said your name twice."

Christian's mouth formed an 'o'. "Okay..."

There was an awkward silence before Tara interrupted it.

"Your accent..." she half asked.

Claire smirked and nodded. "I'm American."

"Okay. I was just confused. So, why are you here?" Tara asked politely.

"To dance," Claire answered with a grin and Christian snorted.

Tara turned to look at him. "Come on," he defended. "You set yourself up for that one."

Tara shrugged and turned back to Claire. "That's not what I meant. I meant...why are you here to dance? Isn't there an Academy in America?"

"Well, there is, and I attended it last year, but...I didn't fit there. It didn't feel right. Too much drama and all that."

Tara nodded as she bit her lip. "So, should we take you for a tour of the classrooms quickly?"

"Sure, whatever, I don't mind."

"Come on, let's go." Tara turned and led her through the halls, explaining everything there was to be explained and more.

* * *

Half an hour later, they all gathered in the studio, and Claire made her way to stand at the back so she wasn't so obvious to everyone.

Miss Rain stood before them, smiling in her own weird way. "It's good to see you all once more," she began. "Welcome to Second Year. I do hope you will all try your best to achieve great things this year, as it is one full of many opportunities. Now! I would like to introduce you all to someone. Claire," she called, looking to the back of the room. "Do come forward for me."

Everyone turned to look at her, and Claire gave them a soft smile and walked to the front to stand beside Miss Rain.

"Class, this is Claire Butler. She has transferred from America's top ballet school and will be staying here with us to learn what she can. I do hope you all welcome her." She turned back to Claire. "You may go back now."

Claire nodded and walked back to her place.

Miss Rain turned to the class once more. "Well, I'm sure you've all heard the rumors floating around, so I will get straight to the point. For the first time in over 30 years, the world's most prestigious ballet competition, the Prix de Fontayne, will be held here in Sydney."

Claire watched as excited smiles lit up the room.

Miss Rain continued. "Preliminaries are to be held at the end of the semester, followed by the nationals where it is decided who will go on to represent Australia. The Academy and The Company have both been asked to be a part of the launch tomorrow." She turned to the man standing on the edge of the room. "Sebastian will be choreographing."

Sebastian stepped forward. "It's the least I can do for the new principal of the Academy." Miss Rain smiled and looked down. "International judges will be in the audience. I cannot stress enough that we will be representing the entire dance community." He stopped and looked around the room. "This will be your chance to make a lasting impression. Now, First Years, I want you all in the centre. We'll go through your steps first. Second Years, I want you one the side and stretching."

Claire walked over to one of the barres and tried to ignore the stares she was getting from the other Second Years. They wanted to know how good she was, and she didn't really want to show them, especially since her skills were not her own, but had been merely installed into her brain. Like ballet was a game and she was a computer that had to have something installed into her to make her good enough.

She held the barre with her left hand an closed her eyes, trying to ignore those watching. She ignored Sebastian's voice as he instructed the First Years on their steps.

_Okay, here we go. Just like Madame Lena told you. First position, pli__é, back in First. And again. First position, pli__é, back in First._ Claire began to feel the eyes of many, so she quickened her pace and forced her plié_s _lower. She tried not to gag as she heard her knees crack and felt tingling up her spine, but it quickly went away. She was stretching herself much further than she should be, but she had to make an impression. She had to make them believe that she had been dancing since she could walk, and she was going to do it.

The students turned back to their own stretching, but occasionally glanced at the strange American girl at the barre.

* * *

**There is the first chapter! I have the next one almost ready to be out, so it will be out for you all soon, promise! In the meantime...**

"Tara, I want you to do the solo," Sebastian announced, and Tara grinned happily, turning to talk to her friends. Claire watched her in the mirror, and she smiled to herself.

_She's happy. Let's try and keep her that way for as long as possible._

* * *

**So, there is the first chapter! I hope you all enjoyed! Please do leave a review for me and let me know what you think! :) **


	2. Pushing It

**Here is chapter 2! I hope you all enjoyed chapter one and will like this one just as much! :) Thank you!**

**DISCLAIMER: I own nothing but some of the plot and any OCs. Enjoy!**

* * *

By the time the class was finished, Claire was exhausted, both mentally and physically. Once more she found her limbs stiff, and she knew they should be sore, but they weren't, due to her ability.

Claire sat herself down on the side of the room and untied her pointe shoes, placing them in their case and slipping on her own black flats. She picked up her bag and was about to walk out the door when Tara stopped her.

"Hey, Claire. Wait!"

"Yeah?" Claire asked as she turned around.

"Well, umm, we are having this party this afternoon. Well, it's not really a party, more of a get together. We're just bringing food and drinks down to the beach...would you be interested in maybe joining us? It'll just be Christian, Sammy, Abigail and Kat, who you haven't met yet. And me, of course, but I will be late."

Claire gave her a smile. "What time?"

"Ahhh, I think they're meeting out the front at five?"

"I'll try and make it. If I'm not there at five tell them they can leave without me."

"Awesome! Do you have a room yet?"

Claire shook her head. "My flight was cancelled last night, so I got in late this morning and only just got here in time to meet with Miss Rain before class. My bags are in the office."

"Do you want me to come with you to get them and then we'll find out what room you're in?" Tara suggested.

Claire shrugged. "Sure."

"Okay," Tara said, nodding her head. "Well, let's go."

* * *

Claire walked down the path to the beach, following Sammy and Christian. She had the picnic blanket over her shoulder and her shades on her head. She had changed into denim shorts and a purple tank top, and had her hair pulled into a messy bun on top of her head.

"Just rest this over here and I'll spread it out," Sammy told her, and she put it down where he had indicated.

Soon enough, all the food was set up on a small table Sammy had brought and Claire lay down on her own towel near the picnic mat, and pulled her shades over her eyes to avoid the glare of the setting sun.

"Helloooo strangers!" a loud female voice called, and Claire heard thumping as feet jumped down of the path and onto the sand.

Sammy looked up from where he was devouring a packet of chips. "Hey! How are you?"

"Good, good. And how are you, Samuel?" she asked in reply, emphasizing each syllable of his name.

"I'm good."

"Well, I brought some proper camping gear so we can set up a thingy over us to keep out the sun and all that. And lanterns for when it gets dark!"

"Really? Awesome."

"I know right? Now come and help me set it all up."

Christian spotted her from where he sat in the water and stood, walking over to where she was.

"Hey Christian! Good to see you. Now, you boys come and help me set this up. If I do it myself we all know something will go horribly wrong and the police will have to be called."

Claire remained where she was, not knowing whether to help or not, but Sammy spotted her. "Oh, Claire! Come on over here and meet Kat!"

Claire lifted her shades and put them up on top of her head as she she got up and walked over to them.

"Kat, I would like you to meet Claire. She's transferred from a Dance Academy in America and is in Second Year with u s. She's bunking with Grace, who is also new, but just isn't here at the moment."

Kat smiled at her. "Hi."

"Hey," Claire replied awkwardly.

They all turned around and began to set up again.

Kat broke the silence. "You should see my new uniform. I am seriously considering shaving my head in protest."

"Don't," Christian told her. "It suits you long."

Kat stopped and turned around, staring at him for a little bit before turning around and continuing what she was doing.

Christian, however, was still paused. He stared at Abigail, who was sitting on the sand in her bathing suit, talking to a little girl and helping her build a sand castle.

"Okay, is it just me, or does anybody else think this is gonna be a-"

"Strange year?" Kat suggested, looking around. "Yyyeahh."

About half an hour later, Tara showed up. She smiled at seeing her friends, but Claire could tell she was worried about something. The first thing she did was get in the water with Christian, and she seemed to be talking to him about something that was troubling her. Claire hoped he was doing a good job of looking after her.

Suddenly, he ducked under the water and tipped her over. Claire laughed at the sight.

It seemed Tara was in good hands.

She turned her attention to the conversation happening near her.

"There are three HUNDRED girls. In my YEAR," Kat told Sammy. She did not sound happy. "I need to do something to make an impression."

Sammy rolled his eyes and leaned back. "You'll stand out Kat." There was a pause before he spoke again. "What happened with you and Miles?"

"Umm, you just get to know someone WAY too well when you're stuck in a van."

"And?" Sammy prompted.

"AND...it was incredible. We did little mini day trips to Byron, and we swam with dolphins in Hastings."

Sammy smiled, and was about to say something when Abigail beat him to it.

"That would be so spiritually transcendent," she said, nodding as she licked her ice cream.

Sammy and Kat turned to look at her for a moment before turning to face the water once more.

"Yeah," Kat continued. "But, we weren't, you know, like that," she said, motioning to where Tara and Christian wrested in the water, squealing and laughing.

Sammy looked out to them. "Who is?" he asked rhetorically. "Well, come on." He took his shirt off. "This is meant to be a reunion!"

Kat grinned at him and removed her hat before standing and peeling of her shorts so she was left in her swimsuit. She raced after Sammy, who was running to the water.

Abigail stood and began to walk toward the water, but she turned to see Claire lying on her towel. "Come on!"

"What?" Claire asked her.

"Come on!" Abigail repeated, holding out her hand for Claire to take. Claire frowned, but took it and walked after a skipping Abigail.

Once the reached the water's edge, Abigail jumped right in and began to splash her fellow classmates, but Claire remained at the edge, not really knowing what to do.

Tara spotted her. "Claire, come on!" she called, walking over to grab Claire's hand and pull her in after her.

It didn't take long for Claire to get soaked, and she grinned.

She was going to like these people.

* * *

Claire got home back from class the next afternoon and changed when she got back to the boarding house, putting on a pair of jeans and a plain blue t shirt. Grace still hadn't shown up, so she did have their room all to herself, but she decided to mingle.

She left the room and went into the main lounge area near the kitchen, and sat on one of the couches and began to read a magazine. She didn't feel like watching anything on TV, and there wasn't really anyone around that she could see, so she sat there and pretended to read, waiting for someone to walk in.

Ten minutes later, the front door burst in and a very upset looking Tara entered.

"Tara, what's wrong?" Claire asked with worry in her voice.

Tara stopped and looked at her, and Claire could tell she had been crying.

"Nothing's wrong," Tara denied, and she moved to walk up the stairs but Claire jumped up and followed her.

"Tara, a blind man could tell you've been crying. What happened?" Claire grabbed her wrist and looked her in the eye. "I know you don't know me very well, but I want to look after you. Just tell me what happened."

Tara sighed and began to walk back down the stairs. She went into the lounge room and dropped her bag on the floor before plopping down onto the couch. Claire sat next to her and crossed her legs, looking at Tara and waiting for her to begin talking.

"Well, it's Ethan. You see, I was dating him last year, but then I kind of fell for Christian, and it's like he's hated me ever since. He finally forgave me, and he offered to have me spend the summer break with him, spending time together. I would spend Christmas with his family and everything. The thing was, I had already asked Christian if he wanted to go, and he had refused. So, I told Ethan that I would love to. But then, right before my performance, Christian told me that he did want to come and spend Christmas with my family. I couldn't tell him no, so I left Ethan and went with Christian to my own place.

"That made Ethan hate me more. Once more he felt like I had left him for a better offer, and it was true! I was thoughtless, and cruel, and now I'm paying for it!"

Claire put a hand on the girl's knee. "Isn't Ethan the one who was taking you through your solo for the launch?"

"Yeah, he _was. _But then I was in rehearsal with him, and he was pushing me further than I should have had to go, making me do spins that he knows scare me. He made me do them over and over again, and I was scared and angry at him. He said he was only coaching me as he should have been, but he was punishing me. I'm sure of it! So I walked out of rehearsal and went to meet you guys at the beach. This was yesterday, obviously. Then I went to the stage at the opera house, where they were holding the full rehearsal this morning, and I wanted to start fresh with Ethan. So, I walked up to him and introduced myself all over again, asking if we'd met before. Then, his father, Sebastian, calls me over and tells me that I have been replaced for my solo. Replaced by _Grace_." Angry tears filled her eyes.

Claire sighed, leaning over and putting an arm around her. "Well, there isn't really anything you can do about people like that. You can try and make your peace with them, but sometimes they just refuse to let go. You can't make Ethan forgive you, but don't think about it too much. You did your best and followed your heart in the past, and if he truly loved you, he would want you to be happy, no matter what it means to him. I think you haven't done anything that you should apologize for, but since you do want to make up with him, just act naturally around him. He'll forgive you eventually, I promise."

"Really?" Tara asked, looking at her.

"Really. Well, eventually he will. Guys are pretty slow at these sorts of things, and life generally," Claire told her with a grin.

Tara laughed. "Yeah, I know. I just hope he gets over it soon. And, I mean, what really sucks is that he is actually letting our disagreements get to his work. He chose Grace to replace me, not because I wasn't the right choice, but because he was angry at me. It's just not right to jeopardize me like that, no matter how he feels!"

Claire looked at her sadly. "Unfortunately, someone in his position does have a certain amount of power over you, especially in this situation. But just because he has a little power, that doesn't mean he's right. I'm sure you're perfect for this solo, and he's gonna see it eventually. Promise. Just prove him wrong with everything you do, and don't let him see that he's upset you. Keep smiling, no matter what happens. If you keep acting happy, it'll happen eventually."

Tara smiled at her. "Thanks. That really helps to know. I guess I miss having Kat around, and I wish I had someone to rely on and talk to like I used to talk to her. But now it seems I've got you. And by the way, you've got me too. We're in this together, right?"

"Right," Claire agreed, hi-fiving her and she grinned, in and out. "So, what are you dancing for the show?"

"I think I'm in the group that's on third."

"So am I!" Claire exclaimed, beaming. "We can go and see if the studio's free if you want, and if it is I can run over the choreography with you if you like."

"Sure, that would be really helpful. It'll be nice to have a teacher that isn't out to get me."

Claire smiled encouragingly. "Let's go then."

* * *

When they got back from the studio, Tara went straight for a shower and Claire decided to have one later on, and changed into jeans and a nice silk green blouse. She slid on a black cardigan and sipped her feet into her ankle boots before giving her hair a quick brush and heading out.

She had someone to see.

* * *

Ethan sighed as he sat down on the bench outside the Academy. The year had just started, and he was already fighting with Tara.

She was nice and sweet, and everything perfect, like she had been when they dated, but there was something different about her this year. She was more determined, more grown up. And she argued like there was no tomorrow. Also, she seemed to be really against him, which had been a problem in rehearsal.

So, being the mature, responsible adult he was, Ethan had decided that in order to achieve what they wanted to with the launch the following night, he would have to put Grace on instead of Tara.

Well, that's what he thought.

He heard the thudding of shoes behind him, and before he knew what was happening, someone was seated beside him. He glanced over and saw that it was the new girl from Second Year.

"Can I help you?" he asked warily, but he smirked flirtatiously as he turned to the blonde.

Claire smiled in return. "First of all, just because I am blonde, it doesn't mean I will fall for your charms, Karamakov. Now, I am here to discuss a certain Tara Webster with you."

"What about her?" Ethan asked in confusion.

"Well, it has come to my attention that you aren't exactly treating her very nicely, and so, I would like to have a chat with you about that."

"Why on earth..." he trailed off, letting out an exasperated sigh. "Look, I know you probably want to fit in, and looking after Tara might seem like a good way to get accepted into the gang and all, but I can tell you now, she is just a drama queen looking for attention."

"I don't care what she is, Ethan. I understand that now that you have exchanged the roles you can't change them back, but in future, I suggest you think before you act, or you will find yourself with me as an enemy, and that is not something you want, am I clear?" Without even waiting for his reply, Claire stood and walked away, feeling surprisingly good about herself so far.

* * *

The night of the launch had come, and they were waiting on the side stage with Christian. People in the audience were whispering politely and it was all about to begin.

"Tara," Grace called, walking over to them. Claire glared at her. "How many spins is it again?" she asked, and Tara turned away, ignoring her. Grace sighed. "You did mind, didn't you? You should've said!"

Tara turned to her, glaring. "No, I loved it when you stole my solo. When was the last time you even danced, Grace?"

Grace bit her lip thoughtfully. "Ahhh, a year. Ish."

"Right. Well, you should probably know that Ethan's sending you out there so that you will embarrass yourself and he can prove a point to me."

Grace nodded slowly, pursing her lips. "Ouch. Got it." And with that, she walked away, Claire glaring holes into her back the entire way.

Tara and Christian turned back to the stage, and he was about to say something.

"Don't. Please," Tara half pleaded him.

"I didn't say anything," Christian replied, raising his hands in submission.

* * *

Twenty minutes later, it was their turn to go on. Claire, Tara, Abigail and all the other girls stood in their places and waited for the music to begin, at which point they sprung to life.

Claire concentrated on keeping her body in rhythm, but found it unnecessary. The skills that had been 'installed' into her brain kicked in, and all she had to do was remember the choreography.

It was soon over, and the froze, bowing gracefully before leaving the stage where they all caught their breath.

Next was Grace's solo, the one that should have been Tara's. Claire watched Tara, concerned.

The music began, and Grace began to dance.

It was nothing like Tara, or anyone, had predicted. Every movement was perfect and graceful, and the audience watched in awe as she performed the steps that Tara had been taught.

"So, when she danced in London, it was...?" Tara trailed off questioningly.

"The Royal Ballet school," Abigail hissed.

"I'm glad she's not staying," Tara said, turning to Abigail. "Does that make me a bad person?"

"Nice is overrated," came the ground out reply.

Grace spun on her left foot before landing on her right and placing her hands at her side, freezing as the music stopped and the audience burst with applause.

Tara watched, obviously hurt by the performance.

"Come on," Claire said, interrupting her thoughts. "Let's go get changed."

Tara ran off once she was changed, and Claire decided to leave and head home. There wasn't really all that much to do, and if there was any after party going she didn't feel like being a part of it.

Her first week there was up, and she was already feeling homesick.

* * *

"Claire, come on, wake up!"

Claire groaned and opened her eyes to see Tara's face swimming above her.

"What?" she groaned sleepily.

"There's a performance on, and we're going to see it. We have to leave in an hour. If you want to come, get up!"

There was a bang and the door shut. Claire rolled over to see Grace's bed completely empty, and she rolled her eyes.

Eventually, Claire managed to get out of bed and head down stairs for breakfast. There wasn't much in the fridge as the guys had already raided it, but they had left some orange juice so she poured herself a glass.

"Claire? You're only having breakfast? Come on, we have to hurry!" Tara called as she ran past.

Sammy walked in the room, shaking his head and calling after Tara. "T, we don't have to leave for an hour. Calm down!"

Claire frowned. "She told me we had to leave in an hour twenty minutes ago."

Sammy winced. "She does get a little overexcited, but this time, it's understandable."

"How so?"

"Because," Christian said as he walked into the room to get his sneakers from beside the fridge. "We're going to see The Firebird, which has Saskia Duncan in it."

"Who?" Claire asked before realizing her mistake.

The two boys stopped and stared at her, eyebrows raised.

"You don't know who Saskia Duncan is?" Sammy asked incredulously.

"No, I don't," Claire replied. "Do inform me, I am most fascinated." She plopped onto one of the chairs and leaned back, sipping her juice.

"Saskia Duncan was and is the youngest principle dancer in the history of The Company. She's pretty much a legend, and Tara really looks up to her," Sammy explained, and Claire nodded thoughtfully.

Any thoughts about skipping the performance to practise left her head when she realized how much this would mean to Tara. If it was important to Tara, she had to be there too. It was her job, after all.

* * *

By the time they reached the theatre they were still far too early, but they took their seats and waited for it to begin.

But it was well worth the wait.

The principle dancer, who Claire guessed was Saskia Duncan, was dresses in a maroon outfit and she danced around the stage like she was completely weightless. Claire could practically hear Tara's awe from where she sat in the row in front of her.

Sammy's phone beeped, and Abigail scowled, kicking him hard.

Sammy turned back to her. "Sorry, it's work," he whispered, before switching his phone onto silent and turning back to watch the performance.

Claire watched with a smile as Tara leaned over to Christian. "Can you believe that's gonna be us one day?" she asked him before turning back to the show.

_I hope so, Tara. I really do._

* * *

When class finished that afternoon, Sammy was leaning over to pack his things and talking to Tara. He glanced at the clock.

"Hmmm...I have minus 9 minutes to get to my shift. Seems doable?" he said with a smirk before shouldering his bag and preparing to leave.

"Samuel!" Miss Rain called. She approached him, clip board in hand and usual disapproving frown gracing her features. "I do hope those outside work commitments aren't continuing now that term has resumed?"

"Of course not," Sammy replied. "Who has time in the Academy schedule?" he asked rhetorically before backing out of the room.

"My point exactly," she called after him, before turning to see her next victim. "Mr Reed!" she called to Christian. "I've been thinking. We don't spend enough time together."

Christian stopped drinking from his bottle and looked at her, nodding. "So have I," he replied cheekily. "Your office?" he finally asked, defeated. He knew he was in trouble.

Miss Rain merely turned on her heel and walked away, expecting him to follow.

Claire turned her attention back to Tara, who was approaching Grace, who was talking into her phone.

"Just picture a universe of shiny, happy people! The boredom is palpable!" Grace turned and saw Tara. She pulled the phone from her ear and looked at her. "Yes?"

"Look, I know we got off on the wrong foot, but, I guess I thought I could maybe take you over to the cafe, maybe show you some of the least disgusting menu options?"

"I'm really sorry," Grace replied simply before turning to leave, holding her phone to her ear once more as she exited the room.

Claire snorted and turned to Tara. "Again, you tried your best to patch things up. She has to meet halfway too, and if she can't be bothered, then it's her loss."

"Thanks," Tara said, smiling as they exited the room.

* * *

Claire walked through the halls and saw the group gathered around a poster board of some kind.

"She topped everything!" Abigail moaned.

"Who?" Tara asked.

"Grace," Abigail hissed in reply, and Tara simply shrugged. "You can't pretend that doesn't bother you!"

"Yeah, she's really good," Tara said in reply, before scanning her eyes down the lists. Claire watched her pause in shock, placing her hand on the bottom of one of the lists before she ran off with a determined look on her face.

The crowds around the lists began to disperse, but Abigail remained, checking them to make sure they were real. Claire walked up to the lists and had a look. Sure enough, Grace had topped every class. Then came either Abigail or Tara, and the one that wasn't second on one of the lists was third. Then, fourth on almost every list, was Claire.

She nearly laughed out loud. She could hardly believe it!

Claire then looked down the rest of the list, seeing Sammy's name in 6th, and when she saw the bottom, she saw a name. Christian Reed. She checked the other lists, and sure enough, his name was the last on those too.

"It's unfair of them to let someone transfer in and disrupt the whole dynamic!" Abigail exclaimed, and Claire looked at her. "Oh, I don't mean you Claire. At least you know where your place is. Your good, but not too good. But Grace! How could she top every class?"

Claire shrugged. "Maybe you're just having a rough week getting back into things. I'm sure next week you'll be back on top where you belong."

"How do you know I belong on top?" Abigail asked suspiciously. "You weren't even here last year."

"I guess you look like the kind of person who should be on top," Claire commented, giving her a smile. Tara might have been the main possibility, but Abigail could be the one in her grandmother's dream also.

"She probably doesn't want to be disturbed," a whiny voice came from around the corner, and two girls Claire hadn't seen much of appeared. They were in First Year, if she was correct.

"Abigail, we just want you to know that you were robbed," the brunette said, her voice full of conviction, before she began to march off.

"Wait!" Abigail called after them, and she marched around the corner after them.

Claire grinned. It looked like Abigail already had some people to worship her. She didn't feel like adding to their ranks.

* * *

At the end of the lesson, Claire walked back up to her room, and was surprised when Grace followed her.

She turned to look at the other blonde. "You've decided to finally spend some time with your room mate?" she asked cheekily.

Grace shrugged. "I guess I don't like staying in one place for too long. I much prefer being out and about. But I suddenly got an urge to get chummy with the person I would be staying with for the next year," she finished sarcastically as she dumped her bag down and dove onto her bed.

Claire shook her head. "Suit yourself," she replied, picking up a spare change of clothes and walking into the bathroom.

She pulled her her hair our of it's bun, pulling the pins out and being glad she couldn't feel the pain of them yanking at her hair. Once it was out, she began to brush it.

There was a knock on the bedroom door.

"It's open!" Grace called.

Claire heard the door creak open.

"Hi! Grace, isn't it? Cool room," a voice said, and Claire shook her head. It was the girls that were worshiping Abigail, and they were undoubtedly up to no good.

There was no reply from Grace, so the girls continued.

"We're writing an article for the monthly newsletter," one began.

"We thought a profile on why you chose to come to this school would be an excellent addition," the other finished.

Claire heard Grace chuckle. "You're friends of Abigail, aren't you?"

"Totally," both girls replied together.

"Take a seat," Grace told them, and Claire shook her head as she turned the water on, not really wanting to become a part of their little games.

When she finished showering, Claire changed into a pair of sweats and a tank top. It had been kind of rainy outside, so she pulled on her hoodie as well.

She opened the bathroom door to see Grace sitting on her bed with the two girls listening carefully to every word she said.

"Well, I was just so lonely there, and, well, I wasn't the favorite. Ballet's all about who the favorite is, right? So, anyway..."

Claire zoned out and ignored it as she pulled on her sneakers and left the room.

She needed a run.

* * *

About twenty minutes into her run, Claire came across a group of young people dancing on the street. As she walked closer, she noticed Sammy and Christian among them.

Sammy saw her. "Hey Claire! Wanna join us?"

"I'm alright," Claire declined. "Just going for a walk."

"Come on! It'll be fun!" he insisted.

"I'm not a hip hop kind of person," Claire replied, lying through her teeth.

Sammy was about to reply when he was pushed in the middle. "Your turn!" Christian called to him, laughing.

Sammy stepped up, did some impressive moves and jumped out, at which point Christian took his place. He spun and performed some sort of break dancing, and Claire applauded him from where she was on the side.

When he finished, he walked to the side once more, and one of the guys there asked him to show him again. Soon enough, the other guy had begun to do it, but the music suddenly stopped.

They all turned to see Miss Raine standing there, arms crossed. She did not look happy, but then again, when did she?

"I see you listened carefully to our talk this morning?" she directed at Christian, who merely shrugged.

"Well, you said more cardio, so isn't it alright?"

Miss Raine was not impressed. "Clear the walkway. It's a health and safety issue."

"How?" he challenged as she turned away, and she whirled to face him again.

"Just clear it Christian!" she hissed.

"Well, can we at least use the studio after hours?" Sammy asked her, and Claire winced when she saw the glare in Miss Raine's eye.

"The studio is to be used for classical training only," the old woman snipped.

"Yeah, but if we have spare time why can't we use it on an increasingly relevant art form?" Sammy argued.

Miss Raine smiled at him. "I am relieved to hear you say you have spare time, Mr Lieberman. You've been notably absent lately." She turned back to Christian. "Clear it!" she turned to walk away again when she spotted Claire. She marched over to where she stood. "Miss Butler, I do hope you are not encouraging this form of behaviour."

"No ma'am," Claire replied, bringing on a Southern twang in her voice.

Miss Raine glared at her. "Then tell me, what on earth are you doing here?"

Claire shrugged. "I was just about to tell 'em to stop too, but you beat me to it. Thankee ma'am."

Miss Rained narrowed her eyes at her. "I will see you in class tomorrow, and you better be ready for it. This sort of behavior does NOT fit someone of your standing, am I clear? I am sure your grandmother would not be pleased."

"I'm sure she would approve of my efforts so far," Claire told her with a small smile. "But thank you so very much for your concern."

The old hag sucked air through her teeth and marched away, leaving the kids to give a few grins to Claire.

"I guess we're taking that as a 'no'," Sammy said.

Christian turned to everyone. "So, we meet after hours. The studio, tomorrow, ten o'clock. If you're there, I'm game."

"Yeah, spread the word the people," Sammy added. "Let the revolution begin!"

"Yeah!" people called out. "Whoo!" They clapped and grinned at each other before starting to pack up.

Claire started to walk away but Sammy and Christian caught her before she had the chance to disappear.

"You coming tomorrow night?" Sammy asked her, and she shook her head.

"You guys can rebel all you like. I'm here to keep my head down, do my work and then go home."

"Come on," Christian insisted. "It'll be fun. And judging by the way you just stood up to Miss Raine, you don't really mind getting in trouble."

Claire looked at them and rolled her eyes. "Fine, I'll check my schedule. But I reserve the right to not show up, or to leave halfway, understood?"

"Awesome!" Sammy said, grinning at her. She nodded once and ran off, continuing her run.

* * *

That night, Claire was sitting in the lounge with Sammy, Christian and Kat, talking about whatever. Well, they were talking, and Claire was mainly observing.

Tara skipped in and saw Kat.

"Oh! You're here! I like it when you're here!" Kat smiled in reply but Tara had already turned to Christian and was handing him a piece of paper. "This, is for you." He took it and examined it while Tara turned back to Kat. "So, how's the friend tally going?"

"Well, you could've warned me about the socks," Kat replied.

Tara frowned in confusion. "Socks?"

"Okay, so, at a normal school, if you wear them a centimeter too short, then you're trashy, but if you wear them too high...?"

"Excommunication?" Sammy guessed, and Kat nodded.

"I'm sorry, what is this?" Christian asked Tara.

"It's a pie chart!" she reply. "It tracks all of your out of class activities for maximum time management. I have one too. They're color coordinated!"

Christian looked up at her. "You pie charted my life for me."

Tara took a deep breath, preparing to talk at a mile a minute once more. "Well, if we don't both get into The Company then Saskia says we have no chance of staying together!"

Claire tried to hide her wince.

Tara stopped and noticed the expression on Christian's face. "I'm...freaking you out...aren't I?"

"No!" he replied, shaking his head. "It's all part of your charm, right?"

Tara laughed, blushing, and Claire bit her tongue to keep her laugh inside.

_Oh Tara. _

* * *

The next day in class, Claire was running a little late. By the time she got in, Miss Raine was already running people through things on the barre.

"Miss Butler! I was under the impression that you planned to come here prepared for class!"

"I am," Claire replied, putting her bag down and slipping her shoes on, tying them up and around her ankles. "I have all my things with me, and I feel ready to perform any tasks necessary."

Miss Raine glared at her. "You are late."

Claire frowned. "Really? She picked up her phone and opened it, checking the time. "Oh. Sorry," she apologized, shrugging as she finished doing her shoes and stood, turning and walking up to a spare space on one of the bars.

"I will see you after class," Miss Raine said, glaring.

"Cool," she replied easily before jumping up and moving to the barre.

Miss Raine glared at her dangerously. "I'm sure you can catch onto what they are doing. I expect you to make up for the lost time, clear?"

"Crystal!"

* * *

"Now, what do you have to say for yourself?" Miss Raine demanded.

"I already apologized," Claire said obviously. "What more do you want?"

"I want you to show some decency and respect."

Claire screwed her face up. "See, that's the problem."

"What?"

"Well, I guess there's this...thing I kind of get from my mother. See, I only respect people that I feel respect me also, and I'm sorry but yelling and frowning doesn't exactly show respect."

"And what would you have me do differently? I teach you how I see fit, and as the student it is your responsibility to perform and behave your best. You are at the Australian National Academy of Dance, and you will be expected to maintain a certain level of behaviour and punctuality. I don't know how they teach you in your country, but here in Australia, you shut your mouth and learn. No back chat, clear?"

Claire looked at her for a moment. "I have authority issues, so please, don't pick a fight with me because I do bite back, and hard too. I am sorry for being late, I will try not to let it happen again. I was called by a family member at the last minute and a good family friend was hospitalized overnight, a man who has been like an uncle to me for as long as I can remember," she lied. Honestly, she couldn't afford to get into trouble. Not that her attitude was helping, but she was NOT happy with this teacher. "I was a little shaken up, so it took longer than usual to get things done. I'm sorry if it inconvenienced you in any way, but I do feel like the effort I put in class made up for it."

"Miss Butler, I do understand why you would have been upset by that phone call this morning, but I do have a problem with your attitude. If a phone call shakes you up to the point where your behaviour is affected, then I do believe we need to work on your resilience."

Claire resisted the urge to snort. She had no idea... "I'll do my best in future. Now, can I please go? I need to call my mother and see what's going on."

"You may, but let this be a reminder for you. Try your best to be on time, and if you are late, for goodness sake, be respectful and explain why." Claire nodded and turned to walk out, but Miss Raine had one last thing to say. "I hope your friend is all right. Do let me know if you need anything." Claire looked back and nodded before opening the door and leaving.

She had a new found respect for Miss Raine. Maybe she wasn't as bad as Claire had thought.

* * *

Claire moved, feeling decidedly uncomfortable as she was squished in the room against to many bodies.

They all jumped as Kat's phone rang.

She smiled at them sheepishly. "It's Sammy." They all grinned. "Hello?" she said, putting it on speaker.

"Okay, the cloud has passed."

"What?"

"The cloud. The rain cloud."

"What?"

"It's code, Kat."

"Okay." Kat hung up, and turned to them. "I think we can go now."

She pushed through the bodies to the front and opened the door, walking out. Everyone followed after her, with Claire leaving last.

"What? Where did you guys come from?" Sammy asked, looking at them.

"In there," Kat replied, pointing behind her. "And there are more of us outside too," she told him, grinning.

"I am so glad you're all here," he said to them. "Come on, let's go in." He motioned towards the room. "Let's get started!"

They all walked in and started warming up, and Kat motioned for Claire to join Sammy and her where they were standing.

Sammy pulled his phone out of his pocket and dialed a number.

"Hey Christian, it's me. No, the opposite. We need bouncers," he joked, and Kat grabbed the phone.

"Even the little First Year ballet bots have shown! Hop hop is sweeping the nation!"

Sammy took the phone back. "But they need a teacher. Someone who actually knows what they're doing. Mate, you were the instigator, so you should be here to see it." He rolled his eyes and switched off the phone, turning to Kat and Claire. "He hung up."

"Hey, we can still do this without him. I did NOT come here for nothing," Claire told them.

"Hey, are you actually going to teach us something?" someone asked, and they turned to see the guy that had been copying Christian the day before standing there with his arms crossed.

"Oh," Sammy said. "Do you, umm, wanna learn a routine...or...specific moves?" They laughed, looking at him.

Claire rolled her eyes at them. "Come on people! All you had to do was show up! This guy has organized the whole thing, the least you can do is show him some respect."

A few of them turned to leave, and she glared at them.

"Oh no you don't! Put that bag down and form a circle, now!" she called at them, and they frowned, slowly putting their stuff down. "Move it!" They began to form a circle, but it was a little lopsided. "Come on! Did you never learn what a circle is? That is NOT a circle!" The managed to even it up a little. "Better," she told them, turning to Sammy. "Just put the music on and let them try moves like they did yesterday. See how that goes?"

"Sure," Sammy said, shrugging. They started, and it went sort of well, but a lot of them couldn't get the moves they wanted to do.

"Hey, you," Claire called out as she watched a First Year girl attempt a one handed hand stand. "You have to work on your balance, that's what's going wrong. Your technique is fine, good even, but the balance is off."

"And what would you know?" the girl turned around, glaring at Claire.

"A lot more than you realize. You want it to look like this." Claire took off her hoodie and kicked off her shoes. She rolled her shoulders around and cracked her neck, closing her eyes and remembering her cheerleading days. The room stopped and looked at her, and she focused on the beat of the music.

Step right, left, turn, jump up, land, up, roll forward, land on right hand, legs up. She held in a grunt as her right hand twisted a little and her fingertips began to tingle, but she bit her lip and ignored the fact that her wrist bone was slowly snapping. She let herself down gracefully, rolling and jumping up again.

She turned to the girl. "Try it like that."

The guy from the day before looked at her and decided to try it himself, but seemed to trip over his own feet and he fell flat on his back. Claire was about to step in and help him out when the door opened and they all turned to see if they'd been caught.

But, sure enough, it was Christian.

"You have to find you're centre of gravity," he instructed as he took off his jacket and threw it to the side. "Make it your own." He stepped to the middle of the circle and began to break dance, spinning and jumping before standing again.

"See, hip hop is not only about tricks," he began. "It's about story telling as well." He walked over to the speakers and connected his iPod. "We're gonna start like this." The music began, and the formed lines. Claire stood at the back, as usual.

He began performing, and Claire grinned. It was really similar to something she had done a while back, and she picked it up quickly. Soon enough, the whole room was doing it.

When the music stopped, everyone clapped. Claire shook her head and walked over to the side, where her things were. It was likely that the others would continue to dance for the rest of the night, but she didn't feel like it.

"Hey, Claire! Wait!" Sammy called as she was about to walk out, and she stopped, turning to look at him.

"Yep?" She turned to him.

"Where are you going?" he asked.

"Well, I'm not really needed here. Besides, unless you have forgotten, Samuel, we have class tomorrow. I'm gonna hit the hay. Don't stay up too late, okay?"

He rolled his eyes. "Yes Mum."

She chuckled at him. "That's my boy!" she exclaimed. She ruffled his hair and gave Christian a wave before walking out and heading back up to her dorm, a huge grin on her face.

For the first time in a long time, she was having fun.

* * *

**So...there is the next chapter! Hope you all liked it! :) Please leave a review and let me know what you think! **


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